Golf is a challenging game in which the player must make strokes of the club that are precise and repeatable. Golfers frequently miss shots when they fail to make their desired stroke with the club. While there may be many reasons why a golfer fails to make the desired stroke at least some of these reasons relate to the grip of the golf club.
In particular with regard to the putter, the conventional two-handed grip of a putter does not allow the golfer to lock his/her wrists often resulting in unintended club face movement during the stroke. In addition the conventional two-handed grip can lead to an imbalance between the dominant hand and subordinate hand.
In addition conventional golf club grips typically provide little assistance to the golfer in ensuring that the club face remains square to the intended path of the ball.
One approach to addressing difficulties in using putters is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,445,718 issued Jul. 20, 1948 to Sternberg et al. (hereinafter Sternberg et al.). Sternberg et al. disclose a putter having an extension connected to the upper end of the shaft of a putter. The extension has a cross rod with sleeves around which the remainder of the extension can pivot. The player fulcrums the club (i.e. the putter) in the left hand (for a right-hand stroke) by laying the cross bar and sleeves across the hand. The cross rod and the club head are in parallel horizontal planes. The putting stroke is made by the golfer gripping the shaft below a modified grip with his right hand and pushing the shaft. No guiding of the club is provided by the right hand after the ball has been lined up with the cup and it is only used to regulate the force of the stroke. The club swings free by the grip described and is fulcrumed and guided entirely in the left hand of the golfer. This approach puts control of the club stroke in the golfer's subordinate hand which typically can be the hand with less well developed control.
Another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,385 issued Jan. 21, 1997 to Jablonski (hereinafter Jablonski). Jablonski discloses a putter having a conventional head, a shaft having an upper section that extends forwardly (i.e. away from the golfer) generally in the direction along a longitudinal dimension of the head, and a handle secured against rotation on that upper section of the shaft. The handle being supportable and rotatable on the hand (e.g. the left hand for a right-handed stroke) of a golfer to accommodate a pendulum-like movement of the putter head. A grip extends around and along a lower section of the shaft, the grip being adapted to be grasped by the golfer's hand (e.g. the right hand for a right-handed stroke) for imparting the pendulum-like movement of the putter head. Similarly to Sternberg et al., this approach puts control of aligning the put uniquely in the subordinate hand.
Yet another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,630 to Monaco (hereinafter Monaco). Monaco discloses an elongated handle having a clamp member attached thereto for securing the handle to the grip of a golf club shaft. The handle forms an angle with the golf club shaft and is positioned substantially parallel to the sole of the club head. A right-handed golfer would place his right hand on the club shaft in the conventional manner and his left hand on the attached handle. In this approach the subordinate hand also provide control of alignment of the ball stroke.
What is needed is an improved grip arrangement for golf clubs that addresses the issues identified above.